Singularity (System Cycle Series)
by Ultimatedaywriter
Summary: Markus is an underpowered god in a sandbox filled with humans. See him spam powers and gain levels to max out the grind. Watch him experiment with monsters and create chimeras. Learn with him what it means to be a hero and live with what that means.
1. Chapter 1

"This child is a failure as a god. He can't learn dark or light god classes. If he stays here, he will die." The child they are talking about is me. This happened, and I've dreamt it every other night since I could remember. Sometimes things happen differently. In the dream there are occasions where my father in the dream is doing this to protect me from dangerous family members. There are times when he is despises my nature and can't trust himself near me. And there are times he's merely worried I might grow up as a spoiled little shit. Either way it plays out the same.

"Your holiness, he's your son, you can't mean you will murder the child." It starts with a man glowing in holy light and ends with a woman with hair black as the void crying. In contrast the man has a head of blond hair too bright to be natural. He always looks so stern but hopeful. Half of me finds it endearing the other half is sickened. Sometimes, I think that is why I was left here. I'm of two minds two halves that shouldn't get along. But they do, I'm chaos and order. That sounds ridiculous.

"I know of a place where he will be safe to grow and maybe, he will find his way back to us as a man." This part is fill in the blank. I don't know if he said the last part or if my mind added it. The place where I ended up was safe as a farm in the north with a foster family can get but that is later.

"Are you saying he will never be a god?" The dark-haired woman asked. Tears running down her eyes.

The reason why I couldn't stay was my nature. I'm neither light or dark. That doesn't make me not of them I'm just complicated. Neither the light or the dark will tolerate fence sitters. While my mind is in dream mode, I'm still conscious and that isn't normal. I've found that in life things get easier when you catalogue what is and isn't normal. So, next time I can play on expectations.

"Our son, if you can't raise him then give him to me. I'll protect him, no one will get to our son." My mother said. She is desperate to keep me almost obsessive. In this part of the dream, sometimes she holds me one last time and I won't lie it feels good that final feeling of closeness. Some nights I couldn't wait to sleep just so I could get back to that feeling.

"The tower would destroy him. He doesn't have a godly class, if we keep him our very natures will kill him. He needs to be away for us, so he can grow into his own person." Sometimes, I want her to run away with me to that tower wherever it is, any risk to remain here in the warmth. She doesn't ever no matter how much I beg. My dreams move on rails taking out some pieces and filling in others. I'm just a member of the audience in a tourney. What is to happen will happen always.

I'm taken to a farm village in the Halo mountain valley. Population of the capital estimated 5million. 200kilometers of land of various climates. Filled with dungeons, roaming monsters, dragons, bogs, and wild raid monsters filled with unholy power closer to the mountains. Compared to the rest of the world it is a sandbox. To a young godling like me it is my only hope. I am a godling without a class, monsters are naturally drawn to me more than normal humans.

"Boy wake up." Pa, the man who raised me and my father in this world. He insists I call him Pa. He knows I'm adopted, he even told me they found me on the porch one night. A good honest man my father.

I rose like a zombie and waved my hand creating a ball of light. He grunted in reply not bothering to shield his eyes. "Pa, its still dark out." I opened my mouth to say something then I burst from my bed feeling pure unending giddiness take over me. "Is today they day I get a plot of land like Toomas and Thaddeus." I stopped and straitened up. "I mean, where will I start my field Pa?" The old man gave one of his rare smiles and pulled a hoe out from behind his back.

"East of Toomas's I made a place for you. Didn't you notice the downed trees?" Pa said. I took the hoe in hand and felt the slight boost to tilling it gave. How can I describe the hypnotic suggestions of magic? If I didn't think about it the most natural thing I could do while holding the hoe was tilling soil.

Putting on a wool tunic and tying the rope belt on my slacks, I put my sandals on and ran out the door. The area pa described was covered in stumps and filled to the brim with roots, it would take a week maybe a month to get it ready for tilling.

"I thought we would train your light orbs while they're at their weakest. Try not to kill too many night fairies. In this world everyone had access to series of screens we call the menu. From this menu we can see our statistics, what skills we have and how they affect us, our classes, and even perks that we inherited or gathered over time. I opened the menu to look at how much damage my light orbs should be able to do with average light.

 **Perks**

 **Godling – This perk grants the Divine stat. Faith energy from followers can be processed and turned into divine points. +1 class slot. Every 1000 insight add another class slot.**

 **Child of Twilight – This perk is due to your parentage. You are the son of a light and a dark god. This has given you access to both light and dark type magic. Due to this perk you are not eligible for light or dark classes. Only twilight classes can be learned.**

 **Malnourished Godling – You were denied breast feeding from your mother. This has caused an adverse effect on your growth. -20% damage from divine skills until Malnourishment is rectified. Acquire 100 divine before age 15 to remove this perk.**

 **Abandoned – Any faith-based energy meant for your parent deities is now toxic. +200% damage from family members with divine power. This perk is permanent and will never go away.**

 **Perfect Night Vision – The user can see in the dark perfectly due to the dark nature of one of his godly parents. When Dark reaches lv10 the user's influence increases by 50%**

 **Solar Powered – The user can absorb and synthesis solar radiation into nutrients to stave off hunger. When light reaches lv10 the user regenerates 50% more MPM**

My perks said it all and they were shit. Access to light and darkness should have given me an awesome class. They didn't I'm incapable of getting one and I don't have a way to find a twilight class. If I did, I would have already gotten it.

 **Classes**

 **Empty Slot 1**

 **Empty Slot 2**

Empty like I said, if I can get the farmer class soon, that would be something. I didn't have a way up; my mind isn't that of a human's. I'm built to search out ways to move forward. Not having a way forward makes me nervous. That is considered very human unless you factor in the fact I'm eight.

 **Magic Types**

 **Light lv1 next level 0/15 small white crystals**

 **Dark lv1 next level 0/15 small black crystals**

 **Psychic lv1 next level 0/15 small purple crystals**

To increase magic a user needed to kill something and pick up mana crystals that naturally dropped. Since I obviously haven't fought any monsters yet, well I'm stuck with lv one magic.

 **Skills**

 **Orb lv2 time to next lv 60s**

 **Cost 5MPS**

 **Description: Manipulate a single point where a specific element is drawn. This skill follows the gravitation of mana. The more mana in the original point the more power behind the attack. 1MPS is needed to maintain the point and 4MPS is needed to gather and maintain the collected mana. Start with more mana to increase the power of the attack. Gathering MPS and Maintenance MPS scale up with starting MPS.**

 **(RAW MANA) MAG DAM (40) = Insight (20) x Skill lv (2)**

 **(LIGHT MANA) L DAM (20) = Willpower (10) x Skill lv (2) x light (1)**

 **Class at lv10 Mage**

 **Telekinesis lv1 lift 100objects to next lv**

 **Cost 5MPS**

 **Description: Control physical matter with your mind.**

 **Phys DAM (50) = Strength (25) x Willpower (10) x skill lv (1) x psychic (1)**

 **Class at lv10 Psycher**

My skills left much to be desired. But there were two very important parts to them. Light doesn't way much, and it doesn't need a lot of time to get going. That and telekinesis is a broken skill. It scales off willpower and strength because it deals straight physical damage. That means if Pa wielded this, he could probably rip mountains out of the ground. Too bad Pa has no psychic potential.

Ma does she was supposed to be a master of telepathy. But I haven't seen any sign of that.

 **Stats**

 **Markus lv8 (800xp next lv)**

 **Race: Godling**

 **Sex: Male**

 **HP 250/250 +17.5HPM**

 **MP 100/100 +23.2MPM**

 **SP 150/150 +29SPM**

 **Constitution 25**

 **Endurance 15**

 **Perception 15**

 **Strength 25**

 **Dexterity 15**

 **Insight 20**

 **Willpower 10**

 **Charisma 15**

 **Luck 15**

 **Divinity 16**

Thus far I could hold a light orb for 24 seconds straight before I ran out of mana and if I pushed it my stamina would go. Then if I somehow surpassed my exhaustion it would eat away at my health. But I did as Pa wanted and gathered light from what few sources existed, the stars, the moon and Pa's lantern. The small orb floating above my hand was draining mana like crazy and in seconds I would be out for the count. I targeted one of the stumps and let it fly.

 **New skill!**

 **Light Shot lv1 100dps next lv**

 **L Dam (70) = (Telekinesis (50) + L orb (20)) x skill lv (1)**

 **Description: A orb of light fired by telekinesis it has no impact but explodes ferociously. This skill is only the beginning of the powerful and fast casting light magic line. Light is all about hitting fast hard and continuously.**

 **Cost 10MPS**

 **Light Mage class unlocked lv10**

It stood there as the light orb hit a stump and exploded spreading bright light. The stump blackened then caught fire. Eight more quick shots quickly brought the skill up to lv3. When my mana was drained completely. I slumped down feeling it dip into my stamina.

 **Light Shot lv up x4**

"Impressive, you took to maging like a fish to water. Well, till what you can and in a few hours finish the stumps. If Toomas or Thad has anything for you to do they'll find you." Pa turned to leave then stopped. "Before I forget, here take these." He tossed me a packet of seeds. "You can gain the mana manipulation skill if you pour mana into them. It'll teach you how to control it." Pa walked off to begin working the main field.

I did as I was told and ignored the feeling of power blasting things with light gave me. After a few hours a window popped up.

 **New skill!**

 **Till lv1 till 5m to next lv**

 **Utility physical damage (375) = Endurance x Strength x Skill lv**

 **60SPM**

I had this in the bag. My hoe stabbed into the ground causing the tough ground to break up and I hit it again for good measure. Every smack with the hoe pulled it closer to leveling up and with it the damage would double. Sweat beaded down my face as my stamina was quickly eaten away. Being 8 and only level 8, I only had so many stats.

Like any normal human I was born with a flat rate of 5 stat points per attribute. Except for divine that one was 1. As I grew older, I naturally leveled up. Every year a human will gain a level on their date of birth. Until they are 11. At 11 we are considered men and old enough to join the academy.

I want to be a kingdom mage or maybe a lore warden. Thad says I would have better luck joining a knight's chapter, and Toomas says I would have better luck grafting wings on a pig and teaching it to fly.

The sun was rising, and the night fairies swarmed me. They dove into the loose dirt I made and froze it solid. They dove down and ruined all the work I had done. Then the sun's rays began to spread across the ground and the fairies panicked. A few hid under my shirt and began making things cold.

As you can imagine, I wasn't still like a statue. I ran around in circles smacking my shirt feeling solid lumps and when I hit them they bit me. "Expose them to the sun, that will get rid of them." Thad said chuckling as he walked up. I was so busy trying to get the vermin off me I hadn't heard Thad.

"Or you could give them succor until night. Doesn't matter what you do, they will probably die soon anyway." We turned our heads at the humming chirping sounds of day fairies waking from their sleep within flowers and tree blossoms. Swarming death Ma called them. They made up for lost time and began finding the hidey holes the night fairies made and dragged the blue skin critters into the sun. Where they melted.

 **Cold damage 100DPs**

 **New skill!**

 **Warm Body lv1 Endure cold for 3 hours next lv**

 **Passive**

 **Description: In response to the cold your body burns energy to increase your body temperature. Explore this skill and you may gain more than you thought possible.**

 **Cold damage negated (25) = constitution (25) x skill lv**

There was no choice, I pulled my shirt up and showed the little critters the sun. They all bit me again getting in a final blow.

 **Cold Damage 100**

 **Cold Resistance 25**

 **Cold Damage taken 75**

It seemed the only time I took damage was when they bit me. That's probably why I wasn't dead yet. I fell down shivering. Waiting for something worse to happen. Hypothermia was normal from a night fairy attack. That normally only happened to those foolish enough to attack one of their underground hives.

"Get up Markus you aren't going to die from a couple of bites. Hitting them wasn't the smartest thing to do." Thaddeus said in irritation. My eldest brother Thaddeus stood at six foot ten inches tall only two feet shorter to than Pa's 9ft 10inch. Thad had a heavy build from working hard and hunting local mobs in the forest. He was 15, old enough to be called to war. Thad decided not to join the academy in the capital.

Toomas was 13 and failed his exam. He was a qi user and a powerful one at that. Unfortunately, he was disqualified for killing his opponent. That happens when they don't surrender. Toomas would have to wait another year before he could try out again. There was still the option of joining one of the temple monasteries, but it was unlikely Toomas would join one. Swearing off women for a few techniques and power wasn't his idea of a good bargain.

"Easy for you to say that was half my health." I said and spat out a wad of flam.

"Yea, I'm sure it was, Pa told us to help you with your first planting. We would help, but the ground is frozen. It would take a pickaxe to break through. So, we aren't going to bother with planting until you till the ground over again. Instead, Toomas volunteered to teach you the bow." Thad said.

"What? I didn't volunteer to teach the runt the bow." Thad smacked Toomas on the back making him stumble forward. "What was that for?" Toomas yelled.

"Be nice Toomas and teach our little brother how to use the bow. You have nothing but time until you check your traps, right." Thad said. Toomas grumbled but nodded his agreement.

Taking an old bow out of his inventory and quiver of arrows he tossed them to me. "Come on over to the hay bail. We painted a target on it. If you can hit the yellow, I'll let you keep the bow and quiver." Toomas said and looked to our eldest brother. Thad gave a nod to us as we headed behind the pig pin.

We were about twenty yards from a big hay bell half picked at by Stan. The chimera liked to eat at things just to mess with us. I remember once I left my good sandals outside, because I stepped in some pig shit and Stan ate them, with his goat half. The goat kept huffing at me knowing what its breath smelled like.

"Well your target it a bit smaller than it was. So, good luck. Let me see what you think an archer should stand like." I put my left foot forward held my left arm straight towards my target and stood up straight. "Bend you knees or you might pass out." He tapped my right foot until it was where he wanted it. He rotated my shoulders and bent my left elbow. "Good, this is how you should stand when your trying to kill something. Now knock an arrow." I took an arrow out of the quiver and held it on my fingers. "Pull back," Toomas said, and I pulled back until the broadhead nearly touched my fingers. "Take aim," I lined the broadhead with the target the increasing light played havoc with my night vision.

For a few heart beats I waited for the command. I kept my form as close to what he told me as possible. My muscles struggled to keep the string pulled back. I sensed it coming the order that would drive my arrow towards the target. Hit or miss it would determine whether I kept the bow or not.

"Fire," I released the arrow and watched it zoom out bending and shifting in the air until it hit. The arrows duck feather fletching showed itself amongst the yellow. Toomas had a satisfied smile on his face. "Markus you did good. Go get the bow and let's do some shooting.

 **New Skill!**

 **Archery lv1 deal 100DPS to next lv**

 **Description: Fire an arrow, bolt, or even a sword from a bow and hit a target.**

 **Long Range Phys Dam (375) = Dexterity (15) x Strength (25) x skill lv (1)**

 **Arrow damage 1x (375) – 10x (375)**

While I walked down range to get the arrow, I couldn't help but feel like I was a frail glass cannon. Any gust of wind could end me, and my brothers knew it. They were always watching for signs of monsters. Even Stan was wary to let me get too far away from him.

I quickly did as my brother said and came back up range with a full quiver of arrows. Toomas had his personal bow out. A white wood enchanted weapon he had made from a dru wood branch, strung with silk from a Midra a lv100 black funnel web drider. She was a powerful drider that lived near the bog. Toomas had given her several animals he trapped to woo her into giving him a fresh spool of her silk. The shaft of his arrows was of a vampire willow lv50, the fletching roc feathers, and the broadhead taken from a lv 150 flint giant. His brother pulled back on the black silk bow string and the weapon pulled without a sound. The blood red shaft of the arrow looked heavy. "What are you waiting for Markus pull back and stop admiring my bow." Toomas said lightly.

I quickly notched an arrow and pulled back aiming for my target. "Are you still seeing Midra?" I asked him. He fumbled and released his shot. The arrow hit the dirt and exploded in a massive crater. The shaft stood out and the ground where the arrow hit was glassed. I could feel the sudden release of heat and wondered why he was shooting at a hay bail with that. Taking the initiative, I carefully shot and hit the small white of the bullseye.

 **Archery lv up x2**

"Nice shot and yea, we are getting close. What do you think, I should introduce her to Ma? Hey Ma, I know how you dislike mixed breeds and condemn their existence, but this is my girlfriend Midra, she's a drider and I plan to have a bunch of mixed breeds with her. When's lunch my spider girlfriend wants to know. She tied up the Jones family from the farm over. You know that lovely couple that you have tea with on occasion. Well they're her dinner. What are we having, oh what's that. I'm no son of yours, and your disowning me. Why mother I had no idea you would react this way." Toomas said and winked at me. "Markus, I know you don't care that I'm dating a monster, but Ma does. If you follow in my footsteps, I'm sure she will disown you. She thinks my relationship with Midra was just to get string for my bow."

"She sounds nice, you always come home with that stupid smile on your face, so she makes you happy." I said. He narrowed his eyes.

"You think my smile is stupid huh. Just wait until you find a girl, I'm going to tell her about all the times you wet the bed and that time you caught the barn on fire. Oh, that one time you thought that our eggs needed to be salted with all the salt." Toomas said.

"Hey, I was four and Pa said salt was good for you." I said, trying to save some manner of face for my past.

"Go back and work on tilling I'll find some dirt to fill the hole I made." He said, and I made to go only for him to stop me. "When you plant something just focus on your mana and try to force it out into the seed. Having an idea for what its supposed to do is important. If grown correctly some plants can boost a stat or two for a while." Toomas said. "Don't put mana into it without a plan."

I made my way back to the stump filled plot and prepared myself to get rid of the stumps. Despite the breather returning my mana to 100%, I still only had 10 shots to work with. The skill was level 5 after destroying the other stumps. If this kept up I would have one over powered ability. Skills weren't like classes they didn't stop leveling after 5stars. My skill could keep going up the more I practiced it. That's whey you didn't underestimate anyone. If your throw skill is lv100 and you had only 5 Strength and 5 dexterity you would still deal 2,500 damage minimal if the object was heavy or was meant to be thrown, it could increase the damage further. 2,500 damage could rip through the side of a brick wall with ease. Now let's say the thrower was like Pa with 10,000Strength and 8,000Dexterity. You end up with 8,000,000,000 physical damage minimal. 20,000,000,000,000,000 damage is needed to level throw up to 50 much less 100. So, most won't turn throw into something like that. High level skills were easier to lv into the hundreds than simple skills like throw. Men could fight for life times and never raise a skill beyond 30. Much less reach 100.

I raised my hand. "LLLLLLLLLLight Shot," I called firing my full pay load in rapid succession. Powerfully condensed balls of light fired at incredible speeds smacking into the stumps and expanding encompassing them and leaving behind ash filled holes. That's just how light damage worked, it basically burned things to ash.

My head pounded as my mana drained to nothing. That's why I wasn't allowed near a dungeon yet, or even allowed to hunt in the forest like my brothers. I don't have the mana for long drawn out battles or the mana regen for regaining MP in time to be of any use. I didn't have the defensive skills needed to compete with anyone alive. Other farmer children already have earthen skin the most basic defensive skill. Constitution needs to be 30 before the skill can be learned. It's the simplest defense skill in existence.

The sun rose, and I felt my mana regenerate a little faster. There were so many skills I needed that I just didn't have access to yet. It would be a year before I could get them. I tilled for a few hours letting my mana recover and gained several levels in the skill.

Hours passed, and the sun was high in the sky when I finished tilling. Tilling was lv 10 and I was reimbursed for every lv I've gained. I had 20 class points to spend. And the Farmer class was unlocked. I payed the 10 class points it took to unlock the class and suddenly felt invigorated.

 **Farmer lv1 0 of 5 class points to next**

 **Class rank 1star**

 **+5Endurance x class lv**

 **Farmer Skill**

 **Growth lv1 Grow 1 plant to maturity to next level**

 **Passive**

 **Utility faster growth time (1/20) = Endurance x Skill lv (1)**

 **Hidden effect**

 **Divine Influence**

 **Description – Adds a bonus effect through divine power. This can cause plants to gain intelligence and seek to devour their creator. Warning grow things at your own risk.**

 **Increased Lifespan (x16) = Divine (16) x skill lv**

Classes were important. They determined what a user would be when they grew up. Farmer was one of the most common classes on the planet. With it I could get an easy 25Endurance before I maxed the class out and took on its evolved form. Every odd number star would give a passive skill and every even number would give an active one. This was what he needed but I didn't like the idea of carrots living for 16 times longer. Did it mean that the carrots would grow larger? My malnourished perk didn't interfere with the increased life span because it wasn't a damaging skill.

With my mana at max I decided to try out planting some carrots. Yea, it was the month of Broli one of the five spring months. In 19 more days, it would be the next month. Pa was probably waiting to see if I grew anything worth selling at the market.

I jammed the seeds in the ground far enough apart to keep from accidently killing each other from overcrowding. Once they were far enough apart I placed my hand on the damp ground of the first hole. Concentrating on my mana, I began to pull it from my body and pushed it into the soil. There the seed began to take the mana in at an alarming rate.

In the blink of the eye massive green roots shot out and spread through the soil. The ground shook a bit as I fled for my life. A green top shot up. While green vines covered the ground.

 **New skill!**

 **Mana Manipulation lv1 Create 1 pure mana skill to next lv**

 **Passive**

 **Description – This is the beginning of a whole new world of mana control. All pure mana skills are made from this original practice.**

 **Mana damage (20) = Insight (20) x skill lv (1)**

I was going to get my brother Thad to teach me so many skills. This was the step I needed to learn barrier. 20 insight wasn't enough for that either but maybe I could create a more primitive version of it. I didn't let myself get distracted for long. A rumbling soon gathered my attention. Water was seeping up from the ground around the carrot.

 **Growth lv up x1**

I looked at the carrot and a vertical yellow eye opened to stare at me. The monster blinked twice, and I leapt back falling on my back before a series of vines could catch me and wrap me up.

 **Divine Carrot lv20**

 **HP 1000/1000**

 **MP 0/0**

 **Constitution 100**

 **Strength 100**

 **Perception 100**

 **Description – This newborn plant type monster has found a underground creak and is using it to increase its lv further. If given enough time it will grow to incredible strength. Kill it while you can, or the world is doomed.**

I ran back until I was sure it couldn't get me with its vines. They were extending and coming for me. This monster wanted my divine essence to finish its evolution. The carrot was growing bigger by the second. Earth like shielding was covering it. It had earth armor before it did, and it hasn't been grown for more than 30minutes.

 **Divine Carrot lv40**

 **HP 3000/3000**

 **MP 10/10**

 **Constitution 300**

 **Strength 100**

 **Dexterity 100**

 **Perception 100**

 **Willpower 1**

 **Description – This carrot has begun drinking deeply of water and sunlight and will soon gain a godly class. If it isn't stopped carrotgeddon is sure to come.**

It had the skill, but it most likely didn't have much else. Earth armor was constitution based and gave the user steady defense. Against most damage. But at lv 1 that was just 300Defense and once broken it would have to be cast again. It was now or never.

I raised my hand and fired off a light shot. The skill impacted the carrot and its armor shattered. Its vines ripped up from the ground and wrapped around me curling and dragging me towards the monster. A vertical slit appeared in the monster's side filled with nasty looking teeth. Raising my hand, I fired off nine rounds. The creature dropped me in the dirt and I rolled over on my side. It roared burnt all over and slowly regenerating.

Taking out my bow, I knocked an arrow and fired. The shaft exploded against the monster's side and it stopped moving. The monster sagged, and water shot up from it drenching my plot and ruining the tilled soil.

 **Divine Carrot slain**

 **Xp calculations**

 **Divine x100 carrot (1) x lv40 =400xp**

I trudged through the mud of my plot knowing that I had nothing to show for today's work. My brothers would jeer me, and Ma would be upset about half the farm getting flooded. I could only find Pa and hope he would go easy on me.

He was on the hill next to my plot he had watched the whole thing. "Well it looks like you found the perfect place for a well. A good first day." Pa said with a half-smile. "I don't think carrots are your thing. Let's try cabbages, those are less aggressive." Pa said with a chuckle.

 **Next chapter age 9**


	2. Chapter 2

**Month Broliy/ day 8/ Year 3200**

 **Markus Age 8**

 **Lv10 1,100xp to next**

 **HP 300/300 +29HPM**

 **MP 150/150 +34.8 (35.8) MPM**

 **SP 250/250 +34.8SPM**

 **Constitution 30**

 **Endurance 15(25)**

 **Perception 15**

 **Strength 35**

 **Dexterity 15**

 **Insight 30**

 **Willpower 15**

 **Charisma 15**

 **Luck 15**

 **Divinity 16**

 **Class**

 **Farmer lv2 0 of 20 to next**

 **1 star**

 **+5Endurance per lv**

 **Skills**

 **Growth lv4 Grow 8 plants to maturity to next level**

 **Passive**

 **Utility Plants require (1/100th) normal growing time = Endurance (25) x Skill lv (4)**

 **Hidden effect**

 **Divine Influence**

 **Description – Adds a bonus effect through divine power. This can cause plants to gain intelligence and seek to devour their creator. Warning grow things at your own risk.**

 **Increased Lifespan (x16) = Divine (16) x skill lv**

 **Harvest lv1 pick 1 plant next lv**

 **Description – Gather the bounty you have planted with greater fortune increases the odds of a plant growing more than originally able.**

 **Active**

 **Cost 60SPM**

 **Utility Increased bounty +37.5% =% (Endurance (25) x Luck (15) x skill lv (1))/10**

 **Class slot 2 open**

 **Types**

 **Light 1 0/15 small white crystals**

 **Dark 1 0/15 small black crystals**

 **Psychic 1 0/15 small purple crystals**

 **skills**

 **Archery lv5 Damage to next lv 3200**

 **Phys DPS (2625) = STR (35) x DEX (15) x skill lv (5)**

 **Till lv11 10kilometers to next lv**

 **Utility PHYS DPS (9k) = END (25) x STR (35) x skill lv 11**

 **Orb lv5 8min to next lv**

 **L orb DPS (75) = WIL (15) x Light (1) x skill lv (5)**

 **Cost 5MPS**

 **Mana Manipulation lv1 create one pure mana skill to next**

 **passive**

 **MAG DPS (30) = (INS (30) x skill lv (1)**

 **MPRM (+3%) = ((INS (30) x skill lv (1))/10**

 **Telekinesis lv3 lift 400objects next level**

 **Phys DPS (1.575k) = STR (35) x Wil (15) Psychic (1) x skill lv (3)**

 **Cost 5MPS**

 **Light Shot lv9 25,600DPS to next lv**

 **Light DPS (14.85k) = (Telekinesis (1.575k) + L orb (75)) x 9**

 **Cost 10MPS**

 **Warm Body lv1 endure cold damage for 3hours to next**

 **Cold RPS (30) = CON (30) x skill lv (1)**

Today was the day I would finally earn the earth armor skill. This would be my first step in becoming defensively sound and I might even get the earth element in the process. Adding another element type to my arsenal wasn't a bad thing. If I could find a way to snag ice that would boost my cold RPS to a new level. Right now, I could resist 30 in cold damage every second. I was thinking about snagging a night fairy, just one and force it to bite me all day. They do about 25 cold DPS each so one wouldn't do enough to kill me no matter how long it bit me.

I've been thinking a lot about resistances. Ever since I started growing monsters that I always put down later, I've started looking into gaining some defense. I'm not talking about type resistance. That is more about ignoring damage rather than tanking it. Standing in my plot on the farmland I'm busily feeding my mana into the dirt waiting for something to burst from the ground and try to eat me. Nothing's happening yet.

That hasn't happened before. Every time I grow something, it always comes up and goes on the attack. Normally, I blast it with light until it either stops moving or turns to ash. Pa says its good for the soil to have so many monsters return to it. He takes some the other day and grew several high-quality squashes. They took less than a day to grow and look perfect. Not a hint of monster in them at all.

Small sprouts of green begin to rise from the ground. I get back while I can. But nothing violent happens, it doesn't suddenly go on the offensive, it just stays there.

 **Markus's Divine Broccoli lv3**

 **HP 600/600**

 **MP 75/75**

 **SP 7.5/7.5**

 **Perks**

 **Divine Earth – This monster can eventually learn earth god type classes.**

 **Divine soil – Though the deaths of many divine beings this soil has been increased to divine grade. +50% HP/MP/SP to plants grown in this soil.**

 **Docile – This monster has no desire to eat living creatures to gain strength.**

I knew right away that this one was a keeper. But I probably couldn't grow that many of them. It had already began spreading. The underground river will probably be used next to increase the monster's maturation. Killing it would only earn me about 30xp nothing in the long run.

Now that I really looked at my plot, I realized something. An orchard might be a better plan than a rotating field. If I can give a tree my divine status and get it to grow year-round that could make some profit.

While my latest crop was growing, I couldn't just kill it and waste the docile perk. I grew another 8 of the same crops with it. Hopefully, it would give me a better turn out. I had some time before Thad or Toomas came to teach me.

Mana manipulation was a skill I earned a few days ago. While I was waiting I sat back against a stump that escaped my destruction and thought about what I would do with it. I read that when mana is dense enough or enough of it is concentrated it can have a liquid characteristic. When liquid mana is condensed further it becomes clay like. There was something in that between clay and liquid that I could use. I've been thinking about using it like string.

For what I really want there is someone I needed to interrogate. There was still time to visit her and no one would have time to teach me until midday. The bog wasn't that far away and there was a road.

I stared at the road leaving the farm. The same one that Toomas took to visit her. The forest between is dangerous and full of monsters of varying power. The strongest around by far is stan a lv 5000 chimera stronger than anything in this side of the valley. Pa is lv5400 and they both have classes that boost their stats by a high margin. Basically, my likelihood of escaping and visiting my brother's girlfriend was zero percent.

"Hey Markus, want to come with me to visit Midra. Pa told me to teach you earth armor because I've been good at teaching you so far. I guess Pa is tired of having to repeat himself over and over." I gave him a half-hearted glare. This was exactly what I needed. "Hey, you can just stay here, and I can leave you a note explaining how to use the skill, or we can go together. I'm sure Midra would give you one of her underlings as a pet. She's been complaining about having too many recently."

"Let's go, I wanted to ask your girlfriend for some tips anyway." I said. Toomas cracked a smiled and slung his bow over his shoulder.

"Get your bow our and string it. Better be ready for anything in the forest. A child at your level will agro the whole forest." I wanted to tell him I wasn't a child, but he had a point. With one of my brothers with me I had nothing to fear in the woods.

Toomas sat at a comfortable lv345 his dexterity was nearly 2000. Bonuses from skills, classes, and consumables have increased his dexterity to shocking levels. His archery skill alone was 25, his sniper skill was 40, and his barrage skill was 20 all three could be used in a single attack. All of them relied on dexterity and built off one another. His strength was a shocking 800 still excellent for his lv. A single arrow from my brother's bow deals 40m damage. If you added his sniper skill which negates a targets defense by at least 40m and barrage which allows a user to fire 400arrows a minute, then you see what my brother can really do. Those are only the skills I know about. When you add in my brothers bow, the quality of his arrows, and his qi abilities well I would multiply ever one of his arrow's damage by 10x at least.

My brother was good at what he did. He was an elite sniper and archer. Against opponents that are far away, he has nothing to fear. He can glass them with his arrows. No what made my brother the best was his hand to hand skills. He was a qi user after all. In the right light his aura was visible even when he tried to keep it suppressed.

"Markus, I was thinking about teaching you how to use qi while we're out here. Would you be interested in learning it? I'll only teach you if you can raise earth armor to lv5 before we reach Midra's territory." I nodded but, on the inside, I wasn't sure. Earth armor was a new skill one I didn't have yet. I've never worked with the earth unless you count tilling. My face must have been obvious. "I've seen that look before. I've worn it several times. Don't worry about failing, just focus on one skill at a time and try to get the most you can out of them."

"I've never used earth before I can barely use the types I have now." I said letting out some of my insecurities. I was about to start spilling my guts when he gave me a nod.

"Yea, my first type was earth and I haven't gotten another one since. It must be difficult having so many choices to when others have to specialize in what they have." My shoulders slumped I began feeling like the worst. "I'm joking, you can't pick your lot in life and trust me, I would rather be a sniper close range mix than a spell flinging softy. Now earth armor, you don't have the type because you haven't finished the farmer class. That can be fixed by finishing the class. But I can teach you a lesser version of the skill. It's more mana costly but it'll help you in the long run. Most call it mana armor. How you use it is simple. You take mana and stick it to your body like armored plates. Then you have someone poke at you with a stick and adapt the armor as you go. Same with most defense skills. This one is just all mana." That was the vaguest form of instruction I've ever gotten. Pa's grunts are more descriptive then that. I looked up for more guidance. But Toomas smiled like he had just given the best instructions ever. "Well get too it just grab a stick or something and hit yourself until you can't feel it."

Well, I had mana manipulation and it requires more pure mana skills to increase. But what he described was really complicated. I took a deep breath and remembered something from a math book Ma had us study. When something seems complicated divide it into steps. Armor was just a bunch of solid shapes strapped to the body to protect it from damage. Not exactly right but I've had all the guidance I'm likely to get.

I picked up two rocks, they looked basically the same. Using one I concentrated on my mana and formed a bubble. A blue gas like cloud expanded from my body and formed around the rock. I forced it to shrink and thicken. Then taking the other rock I slammed it against the first one. I tore a hole in the first cloud of mana and it dispersed in the air. Just like that, I was out 30MP.

 **New skill**

 **Mana Shield lv1 tank 100DPS to next lv**

 **Active**

 **Description – Using your mana manipulation you have begun the long journey of becoming a buffer. Knight's pay out the nose to afford a powerful buffing mage. Adventuring parties will adore you and other mages will want to be you.**

 **Defense (930) = CON (30) x INS (30) x skill lv (1) + Mana manipulation (30)**

 **Cost 10MPS**

 **Class unlock at lv 10 tank mage**

Apparently, mana manipulation worked on all pure mana skills. That was impressive and probably the reason why shielding was so expensive. To hold the shield always I needed 600MPM or a ton of perks. When I used it next the defense rating on the rock was 930, improvement. The mana wasn't quite as cloud like it was more flowing.

I tossed the rock in the air and blasted it with a L shot. A highly condensed orb of light smashed into the rock and obliterated it.

 **Mana Shield lv up x1**

I picked up another rock and applied mana shield to it. This time the defense of the shield was 1,860. Tossing it up I blasted it again.

 **Mana Shield lv up x1**

We were in a field about half an hour our from the bog. Spiders were everywhere, and I couldn't quite focus on them when I finally found a way to gain defense. 2,790 defense, was nothing to sneeze at in my humble eight year old opinion. The fact that I was slowly wearing down the amount of DPS my light shot needed to get to the next level may have had something to do with it.

"I'll leave you here for now, come on into the next if you want to talk or just run out of mana. Midna's spiders will keep you safe from wondering monsters." Toomas said. I looked to my left to see a massive spider larger than I was. Its armored carapace looked sturdy. It chittered to the equally large and deadly looking spiders around it. Venom dripped from its fangs and melted the grass below.

I tossed two rocks in the air and blasted them with two L shots for double the score. The stunt cost me 40MP and would take a full minute to recover. But I was getting closer to what I needed. My shield wasn't so cloudy anymore. It wasn't perfect by any means, but it was getting there.

 **Mana Shield lv up x1**

I tossed another two and destroyed them earning my fourth level up. Now I needed to tank 1600DPS to get to the next level. It was only getting harder from here. The spiders paced about as I worked two hours pass and my level is 7 my total defense is only 8,100 with mana manipulation. Now mana manipulation requires double the skills to reach its next level.

I wait five minutes to let my mana recover fully. I toss five shielded stones up and blast each one with L shot. They are dusted, and I get another pop up. A limb crashes and I turn at the sound. The massive spiders around me are already moving from their posts preparing for an attack. I'm down to 50MP and I'm recovering slowly. I prepare to shield myself and raise my bow. Arrow knocked I prepare for whatever is coming this way.

More crashes, whatever is heading this way is large and there is a lot of them. Ten more massive spiders with dark elf riders creep from the nest. They are mounted on the massive arachnids', spears in hand ready to kill. They take one took at me and turn their heads ignoring me.

"Human are you really the other human's kin? Why would a youngling be so far from home?" One of the dark elves asked.

"He promised to teach me some defensive skills." I said lamely.

"We are at war with the orc tribe. I hope you are as great a fighter as him." The elf woman says. I prepare for a battle I'm unprepared for. But there is also a chance I'll get a lv in light shot and snag a new class. That does change the situation.

Warg riders burst through the clearing. Their clubs smash into the nearest spider splattering its brains, it crumples down in a heap. The nearest dark elf stabs her spear into the warrior and I fire my arrow into the a warg's eye.

I string another arrow as I was trained and shoot at one as it breaks the tree line. The arrow bounces off it armor. My hand flies up and I launch all 5 of my remaining L shots. Five white orbs smash into the rider before exploding. I see the earth armor covering the orc begin to flake away as the light eats away at his defense.

My heart is beating a mile a minute. One of the elves stabs through the remainder of the armor and rips through the warg rider's chest. The warg snaps its jaws around the giant spider mount's head and tears it away. More wargs are appearing with orcs riding them. All of them are lv50 and above. I couldn't even break one of the lv 20 warg rider's shields.

Toomas stepped through the clearing from behind me. He placed hand on my shoulder then raised his bow. His hands moved like lightning. Arrows flew so quickly they created booms. When one hit a warg rider, the rider's body seemed to disintegrate. In less than ten seconds the orc raiding party was no more. Only broken bodies and half melted orcs remained. Toomas calmly walked up and started retrieving his arrows.

 **Enemies defeated Warg lv40**

 **Warg(40) x lv30 = 1,200xp**

 **Lv up**

 **Markus lv11 1,100 next**

 **+5stat points**

 **Light shot lv up x1**

 **Light Shot lv10 51,200DPS to next**

 **Class unlocked Light Mage**

 **Archery lv up**

 **Archery Lv6**

I had 30 class points from my skills. Light Mage was a 2star skill, so it took 20class points to unlock and 10 to level up. I purchased it immediately

 **Light Mage lv1 0/10 to next**

 **Star x 2**

 **Willpower 10 x class lv**

 **Description – A powerful wielder of light magic. This user will learn every foundation skill in the light magic type. Higher forms of this mortal class are Light Battle Mage, Light Sage, Star Light, and Light Seeker.**

 **New skill**

 **Light Seed lv3 Learn 3 light skills to next**

 **Description – a seed from the eternal light tree has taken root within you. Despite your inability to learn light or dark god classes the mortal, knight, and hero classes are available to you. With this seed your journey into light magic has truly begun. It shall sprout and become the power behind your light.**

 **Passive**

 **MPRM when using light skills (+75) = Willpower (25) x skill lv (3) x light (1)**

 **Hidden ability**

 **Description – Due to the divine nature of your power the the farmer growth ability a new passive ability has been obtained.**

 **Defense when using Light shield skills (2,250) = WIL (25) x CON (30) x skill lv (3) x light (1)**

That was perhaps the best class for me. My mana pool alone nearly doubled, and I had enough to lv up in the class and gain another skill. This time something with teeth. As I was dealing with my screens Toomas picked me up and dragged me into the nest.

"I know you probably have more skills now or stats than you thought possible. I've been there. But your life is in danger so wake the fuck up. The orc warband a few kilometers away has more raiders than its had in a century. We were just hit by a wing of the invasion force. The real threat is heading for the goblin tribe west of here and the skeleton dungeon even farther west. I'm going to take care of it. You stay with Midra while I take care of business." Toomas said and threw me in the arms of a dark elf.

"I want to go with you I'm stronger now, I can help." He looked at me like I had said the stupidest thing ever. Then shook his head. "Knock him out and make sure he doesn't follow me." The dark elf didn't waste any time. An orb of darkness fell on us and then I looked into a large purple eye.

I was out like a candle seconds later. As I came to I was laying in a web of black silk. I looked over to see Midra weaving something with the silk. Thinking I was being sneaky I eased up and tried to fall between strands in her web. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. There are dozens of nests under my own. Some won't hesitate to sink their fangs into you." Midra said without turning away from what she was working on.

"Yea, I guess it was stupid thinking I could help Toomas. He's so much stronger than me." Midra was beautiful in a fatalistic way. Her spider body was sleek and clean, clearly built for moving at high speeds. Its black carapace looked to be covered in small scars from various battles. A crisscrossed pattern of black mana covered her body in the mana spectrum. Channeling mana to his eyes was still a challenge the the skill hadn't appeared yet. But the more he looked the more he was sure she was heavily shielded. Several layers were always kept up. Her mana reserves must be extensive, or she has a bunch of perks that help or skills that lower the upkeep. Her human half has light purple skin and she has four arms. Two wands sat holstered on her waist. Instead of hair she had dreads of a chitinous material. Her eyes, she had six of them and they were purple.

"I heard you wanted some help with something. What was it?" Midra asked. Right to the point, he liked that it saved time.

"I want to make strings with mana, but I don't know where to begin. I know that mana can be condensed to liquid and then clay, but how do I begin." I asked. Midra tilted her head to the side. She stopped what she was doing and skittered across her web to him. Two powerful hand gripped his face.

"You look nothing like your brother, but I can still see similarities in the two of you. Always searching for a way to rise above. I've helped him, and he has helped me in return ten times over. I will help you and maybe you will do the same." My eyes were wide open, I was ready for her instruction.

She moved and shot a line of sticky black web upon me. I didn't have time to move before she started to spin wrapping me in a cocoon. Then she placed me on the web. "Use your mana to break my web and I will show you how to make it with mana alone. If you can't before your brother returns, then I won't teach you." I was in shock, I didn't have a chance she snatched me up and now I was in a cocoon. "Now, I'm going to continued making your brother's new pants." Midra said with a huff. "Don't make too much noise I have to concentrate on my stitching."

To start things off, I needed more mana. This cocoon was dark, but my vision was perfect in the dark. There was nothing to fear. But I needed something that cut. My five points had already gone to Insight. I used the last of my class points to purchase lv2 in light mage.

 **Light Mage lv2 0/20 to next**

 **Description – The seed of light within you has begun to sprout and with it comes new powers. Never are you more vulnerable than when you take your first steps on this path. A way to damage your enemies is needed.**

 **Light Thorns lv1 1000DPS to next**

 **Active**

 **Description – A light orb is made sharp to pierce the darkness in the world. Those that would seek to devour you must contend with wounds. Fire these thorns to cause maximum damage. Using mana manipulation and light shot.**

 **DPS (28k) = Light Shot (28k) + Mana Manipulation (70) x Skill lv (1)**

 **Cost 15MPS**

This skill sounded op. It wasn't, while the web covered my body I couldn't fire them and gain max velocity with my Light thorns. No max velocity no high damage. It was a nice skill but I'm no further to getting out of the cocoon than I was moments ago.

The 350MP was awesome though. No, I had to make something that cuts, if I wanted out. Or I could just unravel the various strands. I focused on my psychic powers and touched the silk.

 **New skill**

 **Mind sight lv1 1min to next**

 **Description – Use your telekinesis as something more than force. Feel the objects you touch and get a feel for the world around you on a new level.**

 **Range (5.25m) = Willpower (35) x Perception (15) x type (1) x skill lv (1) x 1 cm**

 **Cost 5MPS**

The second the skill activated, I knew the individual strings were made of smaller strands of silk. Was that the secret. Make something small and easy then wrap them in the hundreds of thousands. Even the weakest skill could be made strong in high enough numbers. But there were diminishing returns. For instance, my Light thorn skill was much 10x harder to lv than my light shot skill. Thought skills before it was the same. Honestly the silk reminded me of wood fibers in a way.

 **Insight increase increase x5**

It hit me so quickly I barely noticed the pop up that said I had only 5 more stat points to put in this lv. Normally I like these things in strength. I could do something like chop through the strands but where was the fun in that. I needed to increase telekinesis anyway.

Closing my eyes, I used Mind Sight. I took every stand in my telekinetic fingers and began unraveling all of them.

 **Telekinesis lv up x3**

 **Telekinesis lv6 lift 3200 objects to next**

 **Phys DPS (7,359) = STR (35) x WIL (35) x Type (1) x skill lv (6)**

 **Cost 5MPS**

Telekinesis was one of the strongest powers I had, and it was rare for it to rise above lv 10 for some reason. There were so many ways to complete the levels too. She looked up at me her purple eyes blinking in unison.

"Well, I guess you earned a lesson. Let me see your hands." I held them up and she held them. I felt her take hold of some of my mana out of my control. "Relax this is normal when someone with far more mana manipulation or a higher skill like mana control. If you don't like when it happens to you then increase your mana manipulation or gain a new skill." She took what mana I had, condensed and separated it into tiny strands, and then she wound them together in a way that made them like silk." This is all you need to learn it. But it will never be like true spider silk. I nodded my head and continued to think about the subject.

Toomas returned, and I went back to the clearing to experiment with my mana shield skill. The last 25k hump was difficult to get through but I did. With the shield skill at lv 10 I began changing it into a crisscross pattern on my body like chainmail. It was a blatant copy of Midra's skill.

 **New skill**

 **Mana Chainmail lv 1 Tank 1000 DPS next**

 **Description – The user made a new skill out of an old one. Slightly more advanced than mana shields it will defend best against slashing damage.**

 **Defense (13,500) = ((CON (30) x INS (40)) + Mana Shield (12,300)) x skill lv**

 **Cost 10MPS**

Just like that I had another toy to play with. Toomas showed up and we left to head back home. Where I still didn't have mana armor but that was ok, I would get it and earth armor eventually. To truly increase the power of armor you had to take damage and adapt to it. Getting a powerful elemental protective skill would just make me lazy.

 **Weeks passed**

 **Month Califlery/ Day 1/ Year 3200**

My broccoli was finally coming in. I watched massive heads of the vegetable poke from the ground. All nine heads were massive in size easily a meter in diameter. I was level 12 now. Today was my birthday. I'm finally nine. Pa said if I can increase my mana regen to allow me to hold a defense full time I could leave the farm whenever my chores were done.

So, I had a new plan to ensure I could finally travel. After watering the broccoli, I was going to go to our book shelf and get one of the books on mana siphoning. If I could find a source to drain mana from, I could practically hold my skill forever right.

Right now, I had a map out and was staring at a dungeon nearby. The skeletal hall, a dungeon that hosted thousands skeleton enemies. Dungeons were if nothing else full of xp. If I could kill a few hundred of them, my power would increase to insane levels.

I looked up to see Pa looking over my shoulder. "Well I was wondering what you wanted to do for you name day. It looks like I don't have to wonder anymore. Load the wagon I'm sure Thad will come too.

"You mean it?" I asked Pa, he nodded his head and I ran out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

**Month Califla/ day 2/ Year 3200**

 **Markus Age 9**

 **Lv12 1,300xp to next**

 **HP 300/300 +29HPM**

 **MP 350/350 +50 (65.5) MPM**

 **SP 250/250 +34.8SPM**

 **Constitution 30**

 **Endurance 15(25)**

 **Perception 15**

 **Strength 35**

 **Dexterity 15**

 **Insight 50**

 **Willpower 15(35)**

 **Charisma 15**

 **Luck 15**

 **Divinity 16**

 **Class**

 **Farmer lv2 0 of 20 to next**

 **1 star**

 **+5Endurance per lv**

 **Skills**

 **Growth lv4 Grow 8 plants to maturity to next level**

 **Passive**

 **Utility Plants require (1/100th) normal growing time = Endurance (25) x Skill lv (4)**

 **Hidden effect**

 **Divine Influence**

 **Description – Adds a bonus effect through divine power. This can cause plants to gain intelligence and seek to devour their creator. Warning grow things at your own risk.**

 **Increased Lifespan (x16) = Divine (16) x skill lv**

 **Harvest lv1 pick 1 plant next lv**

 **Description – Gather the bounty you have planted with greater fortune increases the odds of a plant growing more than originally able.**

 **Active**

 **Cost 60SPM**

 **Utility Increased bounty +37.5% =% (Endurance (25) x Luck (15) x skill lv (1))/10**

 **Light Mage lv2 0 of 20 to next**

 **2star**

 **+10Willpower per lv**

 **skills**

 **Light Seed lv3 Learn 3 light skills to next**

 **Description – a seed from the eternal light tree has taken root within you. Despite your inability to learn light or dark god classes the mortal, knight, and hero classes are available to you. With this seed your journey into light magic has truly begun. It shall sprout and become the power behind your light.**

 **Passive**

 **MPRM when using light skills (+75) = Willpower (25) x skill lv (3) x light (1)**

 **Hidden ability**

 **Description – Due to the divine nature of your power the the farmer growth ability, a new passive ability has been obtained.**

 **Defense when using Light shield skills (2,250) = WIL (25) x CON (30) x skill lv (3) x light (1)**

 **Light Thorns lv1 1000DPS to next**

 **Active**

 **Description – A light orb is made sharp to pierce the darkness in the world. Those that would seek to devour you must contend with wounds. Fire these thorns to cause maximum damage. Using mana manipulation and light shot.**

 **DPS (73.1k) = Light Shot (73k) + Mana Manipulation (150) x Skill lv (1)**

 **Cost 15MPS**

 **Types**

 **Light 1 0/15 small white crystals**

 **Dark 1 0/15 small black crystals**

 **Psychic 1 0/15 small purple crystals**

 **skills**

 **Archery lv5 Damage to next lv 3200**

 **Phys DPS (2625) = STR (35) x DEX (15) x skill lv (5)**

 **Till lv11 10kilometers to next lv**

 **Utility PHYS DPS (9k) = END (25) x STR (35) x skill lv 11**

 **Cost 60SPM**

 **Orb lv5 8min to next lv**

 **L orb DPS (175) = WIL (35) x Light (1) x skill lv (5)**

 **Cost 5MPS**

 **Mana Manipulation lv3 create 3 pure mana skill to next**

 **passive**

 **MAG DPS (150) = (INS (50) x skill lv (3)**

 **MPRM (+15%) = ((INS (50) x skill lv (3))/10**

 **Telekinesis lv6 lift 3200objects next level**

 **Phys DPS (7.35k) = STR (35) x Wil (35) Psychic (1) x skill lv (6)**

 **Cost 5MPS**

 **Mind sight lv1 1min to next**

 **Range (5.25m) = Willpower (35) x Perception (15) x type (1) x skill lv (1) x 1 cm**

 **Cost 5MPS**

 **Light Shot lv10 51,200DPS to next lv**

 **Light DPS (73k) = (Telekinesis (7.35k) + L orb (175)) x skill lv (10)**

 **Cost 10MPS**

 **Warm Body lv1 endure cold damage for 3hours to next**

 **Cold RPS (30) = CON (30) x skill lv (1)**

 **Mana Shield lv10 tank 51,200DPS to next lv**

 **Defense (15.1k) = CON (30) x INS (50) x skill lv (10) + Mana manipulation (150)**

 **Cost 10MPS**

 **Mana Chainmail lv 1 Tank 1000 DPS next**

 **Defense (16.6k) = ((CON (30) x INS (50)) + Mana Shield (15.1k)) x skill lv**

 **Cost 15MPS**

I channeled a light shot, as I walked up to my farming plot. Heads of broccoli stood up to greet the sun along with wondering vines. They looked at me and stopped paying attention. Each of the heads of broccoli were lv 70. Stronger than the warg riders from weeks ago. They seemed to value constitution more than any other stat. With a lot of health and more than a few bonuses, they were beyond durable, at a comfortable 100k. Don't get me wrong, I can destroy them whole sale. But it was impressive, so long as they can be harvested, this round would have been a success.

Keeping my light shot at the ready was a challenge. It soaked in mana like a sponge and even with regenerating more than 1MP a second I couldn't keep up with the drain. Pa said I needed a perk to help with my regeneration. The only way to get those is to raise a stat to 100 or to find a consumable in a dungeon. Well I was a long way from getting insight to 100. I've started investing in it every lv.

Perks work like this. At 100 you get your first stat perk. Then you get your next one at 1000. After that you get the next at 10,000 and so on. Its theorized that at 100k you can get another perk. Not even a hero can reach that level. If I wanted to know then it was best to ask a great dragon. Those guys disliked company and questions in equal parts. It wasn't going to happen.

I rubbed the sweat from my face and dispersed my attack. Taking some clippers from the barn, I returned to the plot and decided to just go with it. Easing my shears against the green stalks of the broccoli I clipped. When nothing happened, no vines rose to smack me, and no great maws opened to devour me, I concluded that docile was the best perk.

I clipped off most of the head and watched it begin to grow anew. Watching it, I decided to give it a week before harvesting again. After clipping all nine of my broccoli plants I watered them and left. There was no reason to bother them while they tried to grow. Pa was getting the wagon ready; today was the day we were going to the skeleton dungeon.

My mana was already regenerating from the light shot episode earlier. Though they were still too weak to make much of a difference against stronger enemies. Still 35 shots were nothing to sneeze at. Stan was hooked up to the cart and we sat together, my brothers and I.

"So, why did you want to challenge the skeletal dungeon. Its not weak you know, not that strong either, but the weakest monster is lv30 and your 12." Thad said. His oldest brother was a level maniac. He didn't really care for skills as much as he did raw stats.

"He killed a warg with a bow a few weeks ago. I think it was 30lvs above him, a few skeletons aren't going to mean much." Toomas said. Only for Thad to snort.

"A warg is hardly setting the bar. They are animals, stupid, and incapable of using the system to its fullest. Were they even shielded?" Thad asked.

"No, they weren't." I said, maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.

"Did I send him to the dungeon by himself?" Pa asked, looking Thad in the eye.

"No, sir." Thad replied. "But,"

"No buts Thad, we are going with him. Because dungeons are dangerous no matter how prepared you think you are. If you go in there thinking your going to smash through floor after floor, well your going to find out quickly life doesn't work that way. This is Markus's first taste we're here to make sure it isn't his last." Pa looked me in the eye. "Boy, happy birthday." Pa handed me a book covered in enchantments.

 **Do you want to install the Quest Log app?**

 **Y/N**

I hit yes, and my screens altered. The book vanished, and I had a new tab. "Wait till we're in the dungeon. Quests are the best part of the dungeon experience besides the story." I opened my mouth to ask about the story, but Pa put a finger to his lips. "I'm not spoiling the story before we get there. Didn't I just say that's one of the best parts." Pa said.

I quieted while listening to Stan's hoof beats. We would arrive soon. The trees around the dungeon lost their leaves and looked dead. Skeletons hung from nooses covering the trees. It was one of the greatest things I've ever seen. The aesthetics, the attention to detail, they really looked like people were hung here. Pa took off his helm and held it across his chest. I got up and joined him along with my brothers.

It only hit me after we sat down that the skeletons were of adventurers that failed to survive the dungeon. "Dungeons don't like to kill their adventurers. Its wasteful, they can get far more by draining you of life, heal you with magic, and drain you again. That is if they don't use your corpse to breed new monsters." Thad said. "Markus it isn't too late to leave, you don't have to face this. You can be a farmer." I stepped towards the dungeon.

"Come on, I want to see the story." I said, and they followed me in.

Two massive doors opened to greet us. In the far end of the room was a woman with hair spun from moon beams. She wore a brown robe and her face was covered in dirt. Hidden under her robes were protrusions of some kind. A hand grabbed my shoulder to stop me from getting closer.

"Brave adventurers I'm glad you made it. A calamity has struck and the great priests of the sun god Ral have gone to quell the spirits of the catacombs, but they haven't returned. The black bell rings and the time of Ral is coming to an end. Please go and find the priests before the time of Ral is over. If you don't then the spirits will surely escape." The priestess said before the door to the catacombs burst open revealing a half rotten skeleton. It moved slowly drawing closer to them. Its bones looked to have been knawed clean of meat. Bite marks covered it along with tiny cracks. It opened its mouth and let out a sad cry.

A hand patted me on the back and I jumped. It was Pa. "This is your birthday present, you get the first kill." Pa said. I controlled myself and raised my hand. The creature moved as if it was in pain but couldn't stop itself from moving closer to living flesh. An orb of mana appeared in my hand, turned to a bright light, and my telekinesis took over from there. The ball of light weighed next to nothing and my telekinetic influence reached 15meters. That meant for 15meters, I could accelerate the light orb as much as I wanted creating my signature move Light Shot.

The shot ended in less than a second. It hit the skeleton in the chest and exploded releasing all the energy it had gathered between its creation, acceleration, and impact. The skeleton's body shattered and parts of it turned to ash.

 **Decaying Skeleton lv20 slain**

 **Skeleton (10) x lv 20 = 200xp**

 **Item found Ral Amulet**

I pulled the amulet out of my inventory and looked at it. The NPC reacted to it. "That amulet, it belonged to one of the faithful of Ral maybe you should wear it. Its magic should help you against the enemies ahead."

Pa grabbed it and looked. "It isn't cursed but its only effect is +10Willpower. There isn't a level limit that I can see. Good equipment for now." He handed it back to me and I put it on. The copper amulet was heavy around my neck, but I felt energetic like it could do anything I set my mind to. My mana pool quickly increased to its new 450. But I felt how artificial it was, the second I took off the amulet I would be back to 350.

 **Equipped Ral Amulet**

 **+10Willpower**

"How did you like your first taste?" Thad asked. I looked over at my eldest brother. He was taller than me by a lot. Though he wasn't as imposing as Pa could be. Thad preferred a strength build much like Pa. He used psychic power instead of qi to strengthen himself beyond normal limits. A skill I admired and wanted to add to my arsenal as well as qi. Well I wanted every power and ability I could get.

"I want to build an insight armor set or maybe a MPR set. But the willpower is nice. I like it!" I yelled, and Pa put a finger to his lips to calm me down and pointed to the priestess.

"As I feared, the dead have risen in the catacombs. This area won't be safe much longer and if the alter of Ral is desecrated the dark of the goddess Nu will never end. Please gather the artefacts from the priests of Ral and bring them to the alter. It will create a barrier protecting this area from Nu's undead." The priestess said. Pa tapped my shoulder.

Oh, yea the quest tab. I opened it up.

 **Area Skeleton Dungeon**

 **Main quests**

 **Chapter 1 The priest's artefacts.**

 **Description – Collect the artefacts from the Priests of Ral and place them on the alter. Artefacts 0 of 5.**

 **Chapter 2?**

 **Self-imposed challenges**

 **Gather an insight set from dungeon drops.**

"It doesn't list any rewards for either the self-imposed or the main quest." I whined much to my brothers' amusement. Thad shook his head and Pa smiled slightly. "Rewards aren't the point of quests, are they?" I asked.

"Nope, they are more like handy goals to keep you focused on something besides mob hunting and drop gathering. But there is a reward if you complete the entire quest line. Sometimes you get a rare dungeon treasure. If you find all the side quests and complete the quest line, you get a big reward. If you manage to do all that and beat the secret bosses, you get the ultimate dungeon treasure. But that takes a lot of dedication and training." Pa said. At my sad expression he patted my shoulder. "Don't worry, you'll get more than a few drops today. I would stash all the luck-based drops in my inventory if I were you for safe keeping. When you're stronger you can come in and score all the rare loot you want."

Thad and Toomas chuckled at Pa's words. They obviously did the same at some point. We left the main room down the stairs following the winding staircase that the decaying skeleton found its way up from. The entire time my mind sight was flickering on and off. Each time I looked of the stone and the stairs below searching for traps or any other danger. I knew Pa, would spot anything before it could get to me, but I wanted the practice and the levels.

We arrived at a cobweb filled stone floor that felt like a coffin. Rows upon rows of wooden coffins filled the alcoves lit by prayer candles. The second we stepped down the coffins began to open in sets of ten. Until forty were slowly beginning to emerge.

"If you think you can handle it, you can have them all. But any we must kill, you can't have the loot, unless you trade, or we don't want it." Pa proclaimed. I nodded my head and raised my hands. My MPR was around 1MP a second which was excellent. I had 450MP if I used light shot then that gave me 45 shots if they died in a single hit like the one up the stairs, then I had room for mistakes. That is until I looked at the finer coffins as saw shields appear around the lv60 decaying skeleton. Then at the end an ebony iron coffin held a lv80 skeleton mage. It had a massive dark shield covering its body that held 500k defense over its health bar. But the other skeletons were defenseless.

A plan was quickly forming as I shot the first skeletons before they left their coffins. Light shots burned through their coffins and killed them no problem. They were unshielded and had less than 500 health. I ran through the catacombs as loot filled up my vision. 30 skeletons died before they could get out of their coffins and prepare. They netted me a quick 7,500xp and just like that my lv went from 12 to 17.

 **Markus lv17 1,800xp to next lv**

 **HP 300/300 +29HPM**

 **MP 450/350 +75 (102.4) MPM**

 **SP 250/250 +34.8SPM**

 **Constitution 30**

 **Endurance 15(25)**

 **Perception 15**

 **Strength 35**

 **Dexterity 15**

 **Insight 75**

 **Willpower 15(35) (45)**

 **Charisma 15**

 **Luck 15**

 **Divinity 16**

The skeletons in their 60s were getting ready to burst from their coffins. Either the dungeon was telling the to get the led out or this was just what they did when over half their number died. I opened my inventory and filtered for anything that increased willpower from my drops. Two rings of the Ral each increasing my willpower by 5 and a robe of Nu increased my willpower by 25 and increased MPR by 100%. Then there were the boots of Nu that increased willpower by 10 and the wand of heretics which increased my willpower by 20 and increased elemental damage by 50%. I quickly equipped everything.

 **Markus lv17 1,800xp to next lv**

 **HP 300/300 +29HPM**

 **MP 1,100/350 +75 (102.4) (178.8) MPM**

 **SP 250/250 +34.8SPM**

 **Constitution 30**

 **Endurance 15(25)**

 **Perception 15**

 **Strength 35**

 **Dexterity 15**

 **Insight 75**

 **Willpower 15(35) (110)**

 **Charisma 15**

 **Luck 15**

 **Divinity 16**

At this moment my light shot with my gear could unleash a devastating 233k light damage, thanks to how powerful my telekinesis was. It would still take three shots to get through the shield of the lv80. I could move on to using Light thorns, but that skill took around 5seconds to prepare. It would be much stronger afterwards, but I didn't know if I had an afterwards. My attacks had a lot of punch, but I had no defense. A single blow from one of the skeletons would destroy me. I was a glass cannon.

Still I fired away at the nine shielded decaying skeletons. Nine shots gathered and accelerated from my influence hastily made and moving at incredible speeds. One of the lv60 decaying skeletons freed itself from its coffin and brought a shield up tanking one of the blasts. The shield held out for a heartbeat before the light expanded and released all its energy. Two level ups later I was lv20 nearly 21 and finally the lv80 skeleton mage shot out from its coffin covered in its decaying robes.

 **Light shot lv up x5**

This wasn't a boss or even a mini boss. This was just a mob from the first part of the dungeon. A creature designed to test a party of adventurers but not to really kill a party. This was a taste to see if the party was ready for the dungeon. A taste to send the unprepared parties back up the stairs and out of the dungeon.

Three light shots blasted one after the other. A triangular barrier of dark mana appeared in front of the skeleton mage with a flick of its wrist. The shield took all three shots with no effect. My eyes widened, as I concluded that the 500k shield the skeleton mage had was passive. This towering black triangular shield was its true defense.

This was the perfect time to take advantage of the mob and mass lv my light shot. I couldn't help but wonder if this was one of those skills with a hidden cap or not. Would it stop at 20 or 20k?

I held out my hand and channeled 1005MP into a single Light shot. 200MP was the base, 800MP was the gathered light mana around it, and 5mp was the amount of psychic energy I needed to smash it into the shield. The attack was massive rays of light flashed at random illuminating parts of the catacombs as I tried to rein in this massive amount of energy. The skeleton mage raised its arm and charged a black globe of energy and I launched my attack. The last thing I needed was to let a stronger more refined mage get off an attack. My attack despite its massive scale only had about 1.6m damage to its name. Most of Light shot's damage wasn't in the light energy it was in how much velocity my attack could gather before it hit. A 15m length of full acceleration doubling its speed every meter was what gave my attack its massive damage. Without that my attack would be nothing. Unfortunately, I couldn't increase telekinesis even if I added more mana to it, it wouldn't increase the acceleration rate any more. So, I had to increase the power of the shot itself.

Pa stepped in put a hand on my shoulder just as my light shot was absorbed by the skeleton mage's dark shield. He picked up a rock and flicked it. The rock shattered the shield and ripped through the skeleton mage's head. Shards of the skeleton mage's head landed on the ground. The rock slammed into the stone wall behind the mob cracking it in places.

"No shame in failing to damage a stronger opponent. Though, you should have asked for help instead of being reckless." Pa muttered as I fell to my knees completely out of mana. He pulled a small blue potion out of his inventory and placed it in from of me. "A pick me up." I pulled the cork and drank down the concoction. My mana recovered back to 200. "Keep the bottle I'll teach you how to make the stuff later. You took 39 of the the kills, if you want anything else from them before we move on well now is the time." I had all their drops but well I had a plan for the bodies. I picked up every skeleton of the same name and put it in my inventory. Parts of them were missing, but together I had a few skeletons worth of parts.

Pa grabbed a cape from the skeleton mage and tucked it in his inventory. We moved down to the next level. This part of the dungeon didn't play, skeleton soldiers patrolled the hallways and skeleton mages gathered in circles casting spells and summoning imps. The imps ran about the halls in hoards ready to rip anything apart they came upon. Every single one of them seemed to be in the 50s or higher.

"If your thinking about practicing necromancy, well that isn't illegal but its highly frowned upon." Thad said. I blinked between unleashing a barrage of light shot wiping out a group of imps. Now I was lv22 and invested all my points in Insight bringing it to 85.

"Well, I wouldn't say I'm up to practicing necromancy as my profession, but I did want to use it to make my first monster." Monster summoning and taming worked through charisma. Most makes either went into the stat or chose perception. Charisma was great for monster crafting, but I planned on dipping into both. That was highly frowned up on because it made mediocre mages, but I wanted my death T-Rex. That's why I was picking up the still wiggling bodies of the imps I didn't quite kill and stuffed them in my inventory. "I'm going to make what I want, you can either stand there disapprovingly or help." I said.

"Does it have something to do with that wingless dragon you keep drawing in the dirt instead of tending to your crops?" Pa asked with a half-smile. I opened my mouth to lie but thought better of it while my brothers snickered.

"So, what are you going to do, take a bunch of half alive imp parts and attach some very dead skeleton parts and say now work?" Thad jeered.

"No, he's going to sew it together with mana and ask the heavens nicely to shoot lightning at it while chanting its alive." Toomas said. I felt my face heat up and thought about how I would really get it working. Imps were basically lizards, they had scales after all. I just needed to reshape them, I remembered seeing some lizards by the well. So, my plan was a little abstract, it would come together when its time.

I pulled up my equipment section of my inventory and filtered for Insight. I had 8rings that each gave +5, an amulet gave +10, a Nu robe that gave +25, slacks that gave +10, boots that gave +10, and ear rings that each gave +5 insight. If I equipped the set my insight would increase to 230, with skills easily 400. That's well over 6MP a second. I could hold my telekinesis permanently and still recover 1MP a second. It's a shame all the items I'm getting are common. Despite their effects I wouldn't get an item that increased a stat by +50 until I reached uncommon supplies. Though, I wouldn't be opposed to an experience multiplier.

 **Personal quest complete create an insight set**

 **New Personal Quest**

 **Create an Experience set**

We continued through the floor killing everything in sight. Whole bands of imps, skeletons, and an occasional wraith fell to my Light shot.

 **Markus lv25**

 **Insight 100**

 **New Perk**

 **Obsessive Compulsion – When something interests you there is nothing that will stop you from going after it. Be it a skill, a familiar, or hidden knowledge. +200% learning speed in fields of interest. -200% learning speed in fields of disinterest.**

 **New skill**

 **Mana Regeneration lv1 recover 100MP to next**

 **Passive**

 **Description – Through powerful insight you have wrestled some control over your ability to regain lost mana. The higher this skill the faster mana will recover.**

 **MPM (100) = INS (100) x skill lv (1)**

 **Class unlocked at lv10 magus**

 **New Class Slot acquired**

 **Light shot lv20 (MAX)**

 **DPS (473k)**

Just like that a lot hit me all at once. My mind went through an extreme change. All at once my interests became my whole world and my disinterests became the bane of my existence. My head pulsed with mana pouring in making me feel like a magnet. Then there was the new class slot. Potentially, it could be a massive boon, but I already had a lot on my plate.

We were getting closer to the boss room. I had a feeling after this we were heading back. I steeled myself for an encounter that would test me to my very limits. The presence beyond the gate coming up was pouring with miasma. I couldn't see its HP, but I could see its shield. Passive it had 3million. There was no way I could damage it.

"Well this is it, we're turning back." Pa said much to my shock.

"But the boss it right there together it can't possibly fight us." I reasoned, Pa looked at me with a curious expression. My brothers chuckled.

"A boss isn't something to take on lightly. Your brothers and I aren't even wearing our armor. This wasn't supposed to be a hard fight, or we wouldn't have brought you. Now, enough of this being greedy, we're heading back." Pa firmly argued. I couldn't find a reason not press on that made any logical sense. Only, I wanted to go further and see the next part of the story. But at the same time, I knew without Pa and my brothers I wouldn't last a second down here.

I had around 125 stat points I could get from training because I was lv 25. Just through exercise, I could gain a lot of power. If I increased my insight more and really worked on leveling mana regeneration, then I could clear the first two floors by myself soon. But I wasn't there yet.

The ride back was relaxing and quiet, I tried to raise telekinesis by lifting a lot of sand. Each grain counted as an object, it was a way for me to cheat the system. As my mana drained and recovered I quickly gained levels in mana regeneration. If I kept this up for 14 hours, then my mana regeneration will reach lv10. That is an absolute fact.

Unlike fusion skills normal skills had no level cap. I could increase telekinesis to 1m if I felt like it. It would take a long time, but it was possible. Though fusion skills were much stronger because they were made up of normal skills.

"Wake up we're here." I opened my eyes to see our farm in all its glory. I leapt off the wagon and let myself land lightly with telekinesis. If there was one thing I'm grateful for its full access to that skill. I swapped to my insight gear to enjoy the maximum amount of MPM I could. 13,996MPM was currently my max or 233MP every second. It really was amazing what a little bit of earnest training could do, and I wasn't even at the 14-hour mark yet. I was gaining more than half of my max MP every second. It was amazing. I covered my body with Mana Chainmail and felt the links of banded mana cover my body, before leaving the visible spectrum. I needed to max out my skills ASAP and return to the dungeon for vengeance.

 **Califa Day 5**

I wasn't allowed back to the dungeon until my attack potency was in the 10s of millions. Pa was strict, and Ma wouldn't budge. When they found out I was trying to play them against each other, they laughed in my face and Pa said better make that 100millon. Either way I wasn't getting there quickly.

Currently, I was doing my best to do push ups and squats to put my 125 free points into strength or constitution. The points could be acquired through training or special actions. Gambling could get me luck, but I never win against my brothers, I suspect their cheating. There are only 4 aces in a deck and they always have more.

 **Califa Day 6**

Well I have an inventory filled with half dead imps and dead imps. Skeleton parts and who knows what else. Its time I made use of them while I still could.

Sewing living and dead tissue together doesn't work. I thought something would happen, I would gain a new skill and I would make it work. That isn't how it works, maybe if I use necromancy to bring the parts back before attaching them it will work.

 **Califa Day 7**

Necromancy is more difficult than preciously thought. I have no affinity for the dead and the closest I can come to true necromancy is using mana strings to move the limbs. I read the dark tombs in the book shelf and nothing, maybe I need more power.

For the rest of the day I trained my constitution and strength. Still I haven't lost hope. I believe its possible to get what I want. But I'm probably going about it at the wrong angle. There are plenty of lizards and frogs to work with.

Dark causes mutations, I didn't know until the frog's guts came alive and sought freedom form the body. The last I saw of them, they were slithering into a snake hole. The Dark is showing a lot of promising utility but its unpredictable.

 **Radizt Day 15**

Its been a month and progress.

 **New skill**

 **Chimerafication lv1 0.0%xp to next**

 **Passive**

 **Description – A skill swathed in darkness designed to unbalance creation and cause controlled mutations. The dark mana infused within a monster the faster it will mutate and the less stable they become.**

 **Chance of Success (3.5%) = (WIL (35) x skill lv (1) x Dark (1))/10**

 **Class Chimerologist unlocked lv10**

It's a completely unreliable random skill that happens to cause a stable mutation 3 in every 100 uses. Then if I try to use it on something that has already been mutated, it has a 0% chance of success. Most of the time things explode.

 **Karrotery day 10**

This skill is completely overpowered. Its use based, the more I use it, the more it levels. I've gained 15 levels in it so far and its still rapidly increasing. I have a nearly 50% survival rate when I mutate the lizards. I still can't use more than one mutation on a single creature.

New information, thinking about what I want increases the probability of getting the mutation right. Toomas says I've destroyed the local lizard population and its causing bug problems. Spring is nearly over summer is coming.

 **Argulery day 2**

I've come to a startling conclusion. I have no way to control any monster I create. It sucks but, back to the drawing board. I'm going to train telekinesis for a while.

I can fly, but I'm not allowed to, something about low oxygen and altitude sickness. More training is needed.

 **Chapter 4**

 **Year 10 and off to Market.**


End file.
